Thread-eandling machine



Aug. 16,1927. 1,639,261

, F. N. LA CHAPELLE THREAD HANDLING MACHINE Ori inal Filed June 11- 1920 2 heets-Sheet 1 Aug. 16, 1927-. 1,639,261

F. N. LA CHAPELLE THREAD HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed June 11. 1920 2 Sheets-Slieet 2 Ina/611%? V \1 cw. el mxwm Patented Aug. 16, i927.

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FRED N. LA CHAPELLE, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 6F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Application filed June 11, 1920, Serial No. 388,199. Renewed December 26, 1924.

The present invention relates to thread handling machines and more particularly to machines of this character employed for inserting a series of separate and unconnected thread fasteners through the upper and insole lip of a lasted shoe,to hold the latter in place prior to and during the permanent securing of the inseam.

A machine ofthis type is disclosed in the patent to La Chapelle, No. 1,185,108, dated May 30, 1916. This machine inserts a single thread fastener through the upper and insole lip of the shoe, severe the thread and is then automatically stopped after releasing the shoe to permit thelatt'er to be moved into position for the insertion of the next succeeding thread fastener. During the operation upon each complete shoe it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the foregoing cycle of operations must be repeated a number of times, necessitating frequent starting and stopping of the machine.

As this. frequent starting and stopping of the machine places a considerable strain upon the operating mechanism, and in some cases'tends to interfere with the formation and insertion of the thread fastener, the object of the present invention is to provide certain improvements in a machine of this character which shall permit the major portion of the machine including the operating mechanism to run continuously, disconnecting therefrom at the completionof the thread fastener, only those parts which must he actually stopped.

With this object in view, one feature of the invention co 113115368 stitch forming inst-rumentalities including a needle, mechanism for actuating the stitch forming instrumentalities in timed relation with one another,

means for connecting the needle to the op-' crating mechanism, and means for thereafter automatically disconnecting the needle at a predetermined point in the cycle of operations.

A further feature of the invention contemplates the provision of needle mechanism, cooperating stitch forming instrumentalities, a common actuating mechanism for the stitch forming instrumentalities and needle mechanism, a back gage and manually operated means formoving the back gage into clamprelation with the shoe and simultane ously connecting the needle mechanismwith the common actuating mechanism.

t 'ill further features of the invention consist in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter 'des :ibed and claimed, the ad vantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description. In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section of athread handling machine embodying the features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail illustrating longitudinal section of a portion of the mechanism by which the needle is connected with the actuating mechanism.

The machine shown in the illust 'ated embodiment of the invention is similar to that disclosed in the L Chapelle patent above referred to, having a channel guide 10, a cooperating back gage 12, a thread finger 14-, and a curved eye needle 16, all cooperating to form and insert a thread fastener through the upper and insole lip of a lasted shoe. Machines of this type are also provided with a. take-up and thread cutting knife operat ing to set the fastener and sever the thread at its completion, these parts not being shown as they form no part of the present invention. The needle is oscillated about a fulcrum 20, through a link 22 and a pivoted arm 24 oscillating about a stud 25 which is secured in the outer end of an oscillatory arm 26.

. According to the present invention the arm 26 is loosely journaled upon a stationary shaft 28 secured in the machine frame and is provided with a recess 30 in its huh which is adapted to be engaged by correspondingly shaped tooth 32 formed upon the hub of a second arm 3% also loosely journaled upon the shaft 28 and having its outer end conneoted'with a cam path formed in a cam 36. This cam disk is mounted on the main cam shaft 87 of the machine which is continuously rotated from a drive pulley 39. The cam shaft through suitable connection-s, not shown, operates all of the moving parts of the machine including the cooperating thread fastening, forming and inserting in- .26 with the arm 34 to form a bell crank lever actuating the needle mechanism in timed relation to the other stitch forming instrumentalities.

The needle mechanism is connected to the actuating mechanism by means under the control of the operator and is thereafter auto matically disconnected from the actuating mechanism at the completion of the thread fastening. To this end the two arms 26 and 34 are normally retained in a separated po sition, as shown in Fig. 2, by a compression spring 40 which is received in opposing re cesses formed in the hubs of the two arms. In order to connect the two arms of the bell crank together and thus actuate the needle mechanism, a wedge shaped yoke 45 is interposed between a frame bearing 47 and a wedge block 49 which engages behind the hub of the arm 26. This operating wedge is provided with a vertical actuator rod 50 and is normally retained in the inoperative position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by a spring 52 surrounding the rod 50 and interposed between a collar 53 and a stationary bracket 55, through which the rod passes. The actuator rod is connected with the treadle in such a manner that it may be automatically disconnected from the treadle at the completion of a predetermined cycle of operations, thus permitting the spring 52 to return the wedge to an inoperative position at which time the needle motion is disconnected from the arm 34. As will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 1, a treadle rod 57 is provided with a hook 58 upon its upper end which engages with a second hook 59 formed upon an arm 61 which is fulcrum ed at 62 upon a bracket 63 secured to the lower end of the actuator rod 50. The arm 61 is normally held against a stop pin 65 by a spring 66, as shown in Fig. 1. In this position the hook 59 is located directly beneath the fulcrum 62 so that a depression of the treadle rod exerts no tendency to disengage the hooks 58 and 59. hen the treadle rod 57 has been operated to depress the wedge and connectthe needle mechanism to its actuating mechanism, the arm 61 is moved bodily downward bringing a roll 67 on its outer end into the path of a block 68 se cured to the side of the cam disk 36. During the continued rotation of the cam disk the inclined face of the block 68 engages with the roll and oscillates the arm 61 away from the stop pin 65 suiiiciently to disengage the hooks 58 and 59, permitting the spring 52 to return the wedge to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 3. This causes the needle mechanism to be automatically disconnected from the remainder of the machine. In order to insure that the needle shall be returned invariably to its most retracted position, the arm 26 is moved by one end of a coiled spring 70, the opposite end of which engages a stationary arm 72 projecting from a fixed bearing 73 for the shaft 28. The arm 72 carries a stop pin 75 against which the arm 26 is moved by the spring 7 0 when the arm is disconnected from the operating arm 34. In this position of the arm 26 the eye needle 16 is in the retracted position shown in Fig. 1, permitting the insertion and removal of the work. The treadle rod 57 is returned to its initial position upon the release of the treadle by spring 100 which connects the treadle rod with the fixed portion of the machine frame, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to cause the back gage to be operated in conjunction with the connection and disconnection of the needle mechanism to and from the actuating mechanism, the former is conveniently connected with the treadle rod in such a manner that itis moved into a clamping position simultaneously with the connection of he needle mechanism and is retained in this osition until the treadle is released, thereafter permitting the release of the shoe. To this end the back gage 12, which is indicated in Fig. 1 as supis yieldingly connected with the treadle rod through a spring 85 which yieldingly presses the end of the rod against a fixed stop collar 86. With this construction it will be obvious that the bell crank is oscillated with the movement of the treadle rod until the'back gage contacts with the shoe, when a con tinued movement of the treadle rod in a downward direction will cause the spring 85 to be compressed without further movement of the back gage.

In the actual operation of the machine, the shoe is inserted with the stationary channel guide 10 positioned opposite the point at which it is desired to insert a thread fastener and the operating treadle is then depressed, moving the back gage inwardly into clamping position and simultaneously lowering the wedge to cause the two arms of the operating bell crank to be connected when the tooth 32 registers with the recess 30. The operation of the needle mechanism is thus started in timed relation with the continuously operating instrumentalities of the machine. When the thread fastener is completed the cam block 68 automatically disconnects the hook members 58 and 59, causing the wedge to be returned to initial position and permitting the disconnection of the arms 26 and 34, after which the arm 26 is moved into position against the stop pin by the spring 70. In the meantime the treadle may be released, permitting the back gage 12 to be returned to an inoperative position and causing the hooks 58 and 59 to engage with one another in readiness for the formation of the next succeeding thread fastener.

While it is preferred to employ the specitic constructionand arrangementof parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified'in the claims, and may be changed or modified without departing from the broader features of the invention.

The invention having been described, What is claimed is:

1. A thread handling machine comprising a cam shaft, needle mechanism actuated thereby including a single needle, and means under the control of the operator for operatively connecting the needle mechanism with the cam shaft and for thereafter automatically disconnecting the needle mechanism therefrom at a predetermined point in the cycle of operations with the needle withdrawn from the workto permit the work to be removed from the machine without stopping the operation of the cam shaft.

2. A thread handling machine comprising a continuously operated cam shaft, an oscillatory arm connected with the cam shaft, a needle mechanism, and means for connecting and disconnecting the needle mechanism with the oscillatory arm at predetermined points in the cycle of operations of the cam shaft to cause the needle mechanism to be disconnected from the cam shaft with the needle withdrawn from the work.

3. A thread handling machine comprising a continuously operated cam shaft, an oscillatory arm connected with the cam shaft, needle mechanism, means for operatively connecting the needle mechanism with the arm. and means for automatically disconnecting the needle mechanism from the arm at a predetermined point in the rotation of the cam shaft.

i. A thread handling machine comprising a curved needle, mechanism for oscillating the needle, continuously operated cam shaft, means-for operatively connecting the needle mechanism with the cam shaft, treadle connections for actuating" the connecting means, and mechanism for automatically disconnecting the treadle at a predetermined point in the rotation of the cam shaft.

5. A thread handling machine comprising a curved needle, connections including an the cam shaft, and means for automatically disconnecting the two arms at a predetermined point in the rotatmnof the cam shaft.

'6. A thread handling machine comprising needle mechanism, continuously operated actuating mechanism, means under the control "of the operator for intermittently connecting the needle mechanism with the actuating 'mechanism, a work holding member, and connections for advancing the member into operatiX- eposi'tion simultaneously with the connection of the needle mechanism.

7. A thread hand-ling machine comprising a treadle rod, air-actuator member, interengaging hook members connecting the treadle rod and actuator member, a cam shaft, and means operated by the cam shaft for automatically disconnecting the hook members.

8. A thread handling machine comprising an actuator member, means for normally maintaining the actuator member in an in operative posltion, a control member, detachable connections between the actuator member and control member, a cam shaft,

and connections between the cam shaft and detachable connections for automatically disconnecting the latter to permit the actuator member to be returned to inoperative position. p

9. A thread handling machine comprising a curved needle, mechanism for. oscillating the needle including an arm, a cam shaft, a second arm connected with the cam shaft, an actuator member adapted to connect the two arms together, a treadle member, detachable connections between the treadle member and actuator member, and mecha nism operated by the cam shaft for automatically disconnecting the detachable connections.

10. A thread handling machine comprising a continuously rotated cam, needle mechanism, an actuator member adapted to connect the needle mechanism with the cam, a

treadle rod, a hook-shaped connector mem- I and means controlled by the cam for automatically moving the arm to disconnect the hook-shaped members.

11. A thread handling machine having, in I combination, thread fastener forming and inserting devices including a needle cooperating to form and insert a thread fastener through the upper and insole lip of a lasted shoe, a cam shaft and mechanism driven thereby for actuating said devlces, means controlled by the operator for connecting the needle to the cam shaft, and means acting automatically to disconnect the needle from the cam shaft at the completion of the thread fastener.

12. A thread handling machine having, in combination, thread fastener forming and inserting devices including a needle cooperating to form and insert a thread fastener through the upper and insole lip of alasted shoe, a continuously rotating cam shaft and mechanism driven thereby for actuating said devices, means under the control of the operator for connecting the needle to said cam shaft, and means acting automatically to disconnect the needle from said cam shaft at the completion of a thread fastener.

13. A thread handling machine having, in combination, thread fastener forming and inserting devices including a needle cooperating to form and insert a thread fastener through the upper and insole lip of a lasted shoe, a cam shaft and mechanism driven thereby for actuating said devices, and means acting automatically to disconnect the needle from the cam shaft at the completion of the thread fastener.

14. A thread handling machine comprising a needle, a cam shaft and mechanism driven thereby for actuating the needle, means for operatively connecting the needle and cam shaft, treadle connections for actuating the connecting means, and mechanism for automatically disconnecting the treadle at a predetermined point in the rotation of the cam shaft.

FRED N. LA CHAPELLE. 

